Did You Know Absinthe Is ...

• Not poisonous, and never was?• Not hallucinogenic, and never was?• Legal in the USA since the 1960s?• Not just a novelty? There are fine absinthes, just like fine wine, whisky, and cognac. Read more here:

Absinthe Evaluation Tutorial

Do you know how to tell a great absinthe from a so-so absinthe? What does one look for, or demand, in a glass of absinthe? Just as with fine wine, fine absinthe has a whole language and system for evaluation and tasting.

Louche: nice to look at during its formation. The trails are oily and visible, and there is a moment when it’s mostly orange, before turning into a milky greenish white. I suspect the ideal dilution is 1:2 or 1:3, not more.

Aroma: a sweet aroma, not very strong, with light hints of alcohol in the very beginning. Not complex but well balanced, with no component prevailing clearly on the other. Some anise, but not too much.

Taste: The holy trinity is present in a very balanced fashion, with less anise than usual. Wormwood predominates with a slight and very pleasant bitterness. Very mild, very light.

Finish: wormwood lingers in the mouth pretty long.

Overall: I was attracted to this absinthe because of its low alcohol content and because it’s advertised as "bitter and very lightly aniseed”, which turns out to be true. My main complaint is that it is very mild. At the same dilution the François Guy, which is 45 too, has stronger flavour and taste, possibly because of Guy’s higher anise content. Lemercier 45 could be a nice everyday absinthe, for those who are not that into anise and are not into strong character absinthe.